1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chum delivery assembly oriented towards facilitating the rapid yet controlled and strategic dispersement of various types of bait or chum in a concentrated manner along a bottom surface of a body of water in order to attract fish to the area. Furthermore, the present invention provides a chum delivery assembly oriented to be removed from the water immediately following release of the chum so that fish are not frightened away by the presence of the chum delivery assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sport fishermen employ a variety of techniques to attract fish to an area of water. A commonly utilized approach is the dispensing of chum or bait in the water so as to attract fish within the immediate vicinity of the fishermen, such as near a pier, embankment, or a boat.
Sport Fishermen typically toss a quantity of chum directly into the water and allow it to disperse slowly through the water in an effort to attract fish to their general vicinity. Unfortunately, utilizing this approach is not very effective as much of the quantity of chum will be dispersed haphazardly and spread throughout a large area of water. Naturally, in this approach, there is a lack of a concentrated quantity of chum in one location in the water attracting fish and the chum is excessively diluted and dispersed so that its effectiveness is diminished. Moreover, the excessive dilution and dispersal of the chum is made worse due to the presence of currents, choppy waves, or other turbulent conditions at or near the surface of the water. Specifically, when chum is merely thrown into the water, before a majority of the chum has a chance to sink at that location, it is moved away from the location such that fish are not being precisely attracted to the vicinity of the fisherman.
In an effort to contain the chum in a somewhat more concentrated manner, others in the art have developed chumming devices which retain the quantity of chum within the device while it is immersed in the water. Such devices typically have vent openings sized so as to retain the chum within the device while permitting water to enter and exit the device, carrying the chum out of the device so as to attract fish while retaining the chum for a more gradual dispersement. Although such devices are more effective in concentrating the chum at a given location than merely tossing the chum over the edge of the boat or pier, the containment of chum within such existing devices in the water has several disadvantages.
First, although the fish may be initially attracted to the scent of the chum which permeates outside the device, the devices themselves are man-made structures to which game fish are unfamiliar and naturally skeptical in approaching. It is generally understood by fishermen that the presence of a chumming device in the water may itself deter certain species of game fish from approaching an area. In fact, while smaller fish will be attracted to the chum in such a device, larger gaming fish, which have been around a lot longer, have a tendency to stay well away from such man made devices, and the use of such a device does not actually aid in the catching of such larger fish. It is for that reason, that given the choice many fishermen prefer to toss loose chum directly into the water, despite the dispersal problems associated therewith, rather than utilize a chumming device.
An additional disadvantage associated with existing chumming devices is the fact that they do not generally provide larger quantities of loose chum which is freely accessible to fish. Specifically, sport fishermen will appreciate that chum located within an enclosed device underwater is not nearly as successful in attracting fish as is loose chum naturally disposed along the bottom surface of a body of water without a chumming device present. Simply put, larger and more accessible pieces of chum attract larger, more cautious fish. Moreover, some types of fish, which are naturally bottom feeders, will not be attracted to chum at the surface or suspended within a device.
Accordingly, it is seen that existing devices are inadequate in permitting chum to be strategically placed along a bottom surface of a body of water without limiting the size of the chum particles and without scaring off the fish due to the continued presence of an unfamiliar man made object. Additionally, as already described, merely tossing the chum into the water does not concentrate the chum within a small, defined fishing area, nor does it permit the chum to sink sufficiently at that defined fishing area so as to attract bigger fish since the chum will disperse and be substantially diluted when merely thrown into the water.
As such, there is a need in the art for a chum delivery assembly which permits a user to quickly and strategically dispense chum in a concentrated manner along a bottom surface of a body of water in order to attract fish to the area. More particularly, there is a need for a cost effective and durable chum delivery assembly which can rapidly release chum at a desired location well below the surface and be removed from the water immediately following release of the chum so that fish are not frightened away by the presence of a chum delivery assembly in the water.